Reefing apparatus for fore-and-aft sails



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. V. DE BEM.

RBEPING APPARATUS FOR FORE AND AFT SAILS. No. 569,602. Patented 001;. 20, 1896.

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KEEPING APPARATUS EOE FORB AND APT SAILS.

(No Modei.)

Patented Oct. 20, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCISCO V. DE BEM, OF GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

REEFING APPARATUS FOR FORE-AND-AFT SAILS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 569,602, dated October 20, 1896.

Application filecl June 1 2 18 9 6.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, FRANCISCO V. DE BEM, a subject of the King of Portugal, residing in Gloucester, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Reefing Apparatus for Fore-and- Aft Sails, of which the following is a specification.

This is an improved apparatus for reefing mainsails and foresails in schooner and sloop rigged vessels; and it has for its object to enable the reefing process to be accomplished quickly and at the upper corner or peak of the sail, that is to say, that portion near the peak of the gaff. This portion of the sail is, of course, that which places the boat in the greatest danger in case of a sudden squall or blow, and my reefing apparatus takes in sail at that point by dropping instantly the peak of the gafi, thus practically converting the sail into a leg'of-mntton sail.

The nature of the invention is fully described below, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a vessel provided with my reeling apparatus and with the mainsail raised to its full extent. Fig. 2 is a similar view with a reef taken in the mainsail. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectiontaken through the gaff-jaws 0r gaityoke and showing a portion of the mast and gaff in elevation. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken through the gaff-yoke and the mast.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the mast, B the mainsail, and O the gaff. The gaff is enabled to swing vertically from the gafi-yoke by means of the horizontal pivot D, which is secured to the horizontal extensions E of the jaw E, said jaw being on the forward side of the mast and made slightly convex in vertical section in order to facilitate its sliding up and down as the sail is raised and lowered. The other ja'W F is provided with the inner extensions F, through which the pivot D extends, and said jaw F is also made convex in vertical section for the same purpose as the jaw E. From the pivot D a bail D extends upward, and from this bail the halyard or rope II extends $e1'ial No. 595,280. (No model.)

the deck, to which it may be secured in any desired manner. secured to the opposite sideof the mainsail at the point K and passes over a pulleya and block Z) on the opposite sides of the gaff and mast. L represents the peak-halyards, extending from the peak to' the mast and thence to the deck in the ordinary manner.

To reef the mainsail, let go the peak-halyard L and the sail will swing down from the pivot D on the leeward side into the position indicated in Fig. 2. Then draw the gaff close to the mast and take up the slack in the sail by clewing down the rope K on the leeward side and securing it at g, and make taut the rope K on the windward side by securing it at it. Thus the reefing process is accomplished almost instantaneously, and the sail is reefed at the point where the wind has the greatest leverage, via, at the peak.

This reefing apparatus may be applied to sails of this type on sloops, schooners, and any other vessels employing fore-and-aft sails.

Having thus f ully described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a reefing apparatus of the character described, in combination, the mast; the gaffyoke consisting of the jaws E and F provided respectively with the extensions E and F; the gaff pivoted to said extensions so as to swing vertically therein; the sail B; peakhalyard; and the ropes K secured at K to opposite sides of the sail and extending therefrom over suitable pulleys on the gaff and suitable blocks on one of the rings or hooks d to the deck, substantially as described.

FRANCISCO V. DE BEM. lVitnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, A. N. BONNEY. I

Another of these ropes is 

